ASSESSING THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF STONE QUARRYING ON RURAL COMMUNITIES OF ABBOTTABAD DISTRICT, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Although Pakistan’s quarrying industry plays a vital role in the local and national economy, excessive demand for stones due to rapid infrastructure development has led to uncontrolled stone quarrying in the country, causing serious environmental, social, and economic impacts. This study, in this regard, is an attempt to assess the social and economic impact of stone quarrying on rural communities of Abbottabad district, Pakistan as this subject has not been adequately investigated in the country. By using a mixed-methods research approach, this study conducted a household survey in two quarry sites at Ghumanwan and Uchar villages. Quantitative data regarding the health and livelihoods impacts were gathered from 310 households by using a structured questionnaire whereas, 3 individual interviews were undertaken with the local doctors in the public and private hospitals and 4 individual interviews with the community leaders by using a semi structured interview schedule to gain a comprehensive picture of the phenomenon under study. Descriptive statistics, Chi-Square Test, and Binary Logistic Regression were used to analyze the quantitative data, however, qualitative data was compared and integrated using interpretive analysis. Results revealed that stone quarrying has negatively impacted the health of the rural community as the majority of the households were facing severe respiratory health issues along with skin irritation, stress due to noise, and sleep disturbance. The doctors in the local hospitals also validated the asthma and allergic rhinitis in the community. However, results regarding livelihoods showed a positive impact of stone quarrying in terms of business and job creation in the study area. The community leaders confirmed the local employment and economic opportunities at the stone quarries. It is concluded that due to quarrying processes, pollution has adversely affected the health of the people living near the quarries, making their lives challenging. On the other hand, stone quarrying has improved the livelihood generation of the rural community and compensation has also been given to the villagers in terms of providing cheap construction material and other social support. To mitigate the negative impacts on health, the quarry operators should develop and implement an environmental and social management plan to control environmental pollution and provide health facilitation to the nearby communities.